


Time and Time Again

by Basilikos



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl & Platinum | Pokemon Diamond Pearl Platinum Versions
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Dawn and Barry come incredibly late, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Multi, Pokemon Contests
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2019-11-17 17:36:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18103226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Basilikos/pseuds/Basilikos
Summary: Vanessa has one dream and knows how to get it. Jason has many dreams and can't seem to make up his mind. Aiden has different kinds of dreams that haunt him at night. Little did they expect that their simple journey through Sinnoh would be met with many problems and surprises.[Very, very,veryloosely follows DPPt events in-game.]





	1. A Skyscraper in a Sea of Trees - Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> As this is an "alternate universe" fanfiction, non-original characters may be extremely different than how they're depicted in official media either in personality, appearance, and/or background. Locations may be unfaithful as well.
> 
> Despite the vague tags, relationships are not the focus of this fanfiction although some may be already/eventually established, teased, or implied. Also, as one might imagine, some characters that are tagged may take ages to actually appear in the story but are probably relevant if I'm tagging them. Original characters that are important will not be tagged by name.
> 
> Thank you for reading!

The sound of loud thumps and stomping could be heard from upstairs in the Coronet family residence. The mother and father of the household sigh as they comfortably eat breakfast that had been laid out neatly on the dining table. They glance at each other now and then, hoping the other will go upstairs to check on their peculiar daughter whom they love dearly.

 _'You do it. I did it last time!'_  the mother expresses to her husband through body language alone. The father lets out another sigh, accepting his fate, and clears his throat.

“Vanessa!” he shouts from his seat. “Is everything al—“

“Where is it?!” The man is interrupted by the shrieking sound of his daughter’s cries of anguish. “I can’t find it anywhere!”

The father looks back at his wife who suddenly seems to be enjoying herself.

Twinleaf Town was once rather peaceful before they arrived. The family is quite famous for being the loudest in their small town. Everyone knows who they are. The Coronet family, who assure their fellow neighbors that they have nothing to do with the mountain range, settled down in Twinleaf Town when Vanessa was just a young girl. Despite the noise problem, they adjusted well in their new home. They quickly became acquainted with—

“Agh!” Vanessa screams in frustration. Her parents walk upstairs and open her bedroom door slowly to peek inside. Her room is completely in shambles at the hands of their daughter. Everything is torn about. The floor is covered in books, folders, CDs, clothes, and other belongings. Their little girl, who is now a teenager, is knelt down on the floor and about to hammer open a safe she just pulled out from under her bed.

"Hey kiddo, what are you doing?" her father asks weakly while taking in the state of the room.

Vanessa turns to her father and gives him a terrifying look. The look quickly shifts to despair as she vents more in frustration.

"I can't find my recording of Cynthia's Pokémon League victory! I've been looking for it all day." Vanessa begins landing a few hits on the safe before her father carefully takes the hammer away from her.

"Oh, that thing?" her father says. "That was the last tournament, wasn’t it?"

"Yes!" Vanessa cries. "How am I supposed to go on my own journey if I’m not one hundred percent sure how Cynthia completely _annihilated_ her competition? That battle made history!"

"That’s right! Today's the big day, isn't it?" her mother giggles as she steps into the room. She was completely aware of how special this day is to her daughter.

She walks over to Vanessa’s desk that had been tipped over in the mess and picks up a red-and-white patterned envelope before shortly handing it to her daughter. Inside is official proof of recognition by _the_ Professor Rowan himself. Professor Rowan is a famous Pokémon researcher in Sinnoh, the region they reside in, and is known for handpicking a very small number of kids to send on journeys to chase after their dreams, for his own interests of course.

“There is always more to learn about our world,” the professor once said in an interview when he was much younger and his hair less grey. To be requested at his laboratory is an honor only a select few can have. The opportunity didn’t come often. The last time was about five years ago.

"That's right!” Vanessa exclaims to her mother. “Professor Rowan is conducting an experiment or whatever and I was one of those selected. This opportunity is merely a stepping stone to my inevitable fate to be Cynthia's successor at the next Pokémon League!" Vanessa rises up from the floor, confidently making her declaration with fire in her eyes.

"I-I see!" her father steps back.

"That's why…” Vanessa starts. “I _need—_ to find—that recording!”

"Ah, I think I remember!" her mother snaps her fingers. "You let that nice boy next door borrow it from you a few weeks ago. I can make a phone call…"

“No need!”

Without a second to spare, Vanessa dashes out of the house, envelope in hand, and runs across the street. After several dozen taps on the doorbell of the residence, she is let in and soon enough, starts banging on the door of her childhood friend’s room until it opens.

"Vanessa! Vanessa! Vanessa, what's wrong?!" the boy is in a state of shock. Although this sort of behavior has happened time and again, she seemed much more panicky than usual to him.

"Morning, Jason!" Vanessa smiles. "I need Cynthia's victory recording, like, now."

"Geez, really?" Jason sighs as he goes into his room to look for it. “With the way you were acting, I thought Cynthia came to town to visit you herself.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’d know if that ever came true.” Jason could imagine the girl screaming in his head, a thought he could do without.

Letting Vanessa in, she takes note of how Jason's room is pretty clean, compared to the state of her room at the moment anyway. There is a small television set at the corner by his single window and it appears that Jason had been watching what was on it before Vanessa stepped into his house.

 _"…So let’s hear it one more time for Shaila! Thank you for being here…”_ The morning talk show host on television says as the audience in the studio cheer for some celebrity guest. Credits start rolling on the screen as music plays and the camera zooms out.

"You're into these boring talk shows?" Vanessa asks Jason while he looks around his room for the recording she came for. He then walks over to her.

“Of course! Don’t you know? Everyone has been talking about…” Jason notices that the girl looks impatient and does not seem to actually care. “Anyway, I found it. Why don’t we watch it together?”

On the television screen moments later, a blonde woman wearing an abundance of black clothing is looking coolly as she stands by a menacing-looking, large Pokémon. The arena she stands in with her opponent is quite spacious and there is an unbelievable amount of people cheering in the audience. The commentator enthusiastically tells the crowd that Cynthia, the blonde woman, had sent out her signature Pokémon: "the ferocious terror, Garchomp!"

According to the score, it seems her opponent has been backed into a corner but despite this, the black-haired girl with the long ponytail looks completely calm and confident behind her chosen Pokémon, an Arcanine.

"Who was she facing again? She's kind of pretty," Jason asks.

"Who cares? Cynthia's going to crush her anyway!" Vanessa is absolutely overjoyed at the sight of her role model despite having seen this recording hundreds of times before. To Vanessa, there was no one as cool, strong, talented, smart, and beautiful as the incredible Cynthia.

As the battle progresses, the video’s audio is completely overpowered by the unbearable sound of a jackhammer coming from outside. _RIZZZZ!_

"Looks like it’s construction time again," Jason says as the two look out the window by the TV. "Just how far are they going expand anyway? It’s crazy!”

Jason looks to his side expecting a response and instead notices his friend’s face is completely red in anger. He asks the girl if she’s okay while backing off a little but receives no response as she brings her hands up into fists, visibly shaking.

If Vanessa were not a passionate, hot-headed, teenage girl and instead a massive volcano, the entirety of Sinnoh would melt under her as nothing would be able to suppress the rage she’s currently feeling. Of course, Cynthia would be all right at least. In fact, all of Sinnoh would be under molten lava but a ring of safety where no lava would touch would keep Cynthia perfectly unharmed. Fortunately, Vanessa is indeed a passionate, hot-headed, teenage girl and not a volcano in disguise.

“That guy!” Vanessa screams as she storms out of Jason’s room to look for the source with him shortly following.

Typically, if one were to describe Twinleaf Town, it would be a small, tranquil town surrounded in greenery. One would imagine it would be pleasant to stay in and life would be moderately simple in such a small area of Sinnoh. Unfortunately for them, that is not what they would find in modern day Twinleaf Town.

Although the Coronet family has since ruined the serenity of the town just by existing, they were the least of problems. Amongst the small houses in town, there is a single, enormous skyscraper in the middle of town that is as tall as one’s eyes could see from anywhere near it. It is an unsightly view for its people or at least Jason and Vanessa think so.

Standing at the entrance of this skyscraper, Vanessa is knocking on the glass door repeatedly as the receptionists sitting at the desk across the room from inside are looking at each other in confusion.

“Vanessa, what in the world are you doing?” Jason catches his breath, running towards her.

"I just yelled at the guy with the jackhammer but he ignored me!" Vanessa exclaims. "I would fight him but the guy has a jackhammer. So, I'm going to make a complaint directly to the _man_ himself. Back me up, okay?"

 “What? No!”

Ignoring whatever protests Jason had to make, Vanessa continues to knock until one of the receptionists approach the two of them with a forced smile on their face. The receptionist walks outside and lets out a, "Um, hello! This is a revolving door. You don't have to knock on it. Please, come inside."

"Oh, what? Um—I already knew that! I’m not stepping into your _tower_. Get your boss out here, right now!" Vanessa demands. "I have a complaint to make."

"Oh, Master Aiden is currently in a very important meeting. He's a very busy man." The receptionist looks back to the other receptionist in the lobby, giving a very pleading look of help.

"No excuses!" Vanessa declares. "If you don't want your reputation to go down the drain because you're funding… whatever this is, then you’ll call your boss—now!"

Jason begins to step away slowly in discomfort from his overbearing friend. He honestly doesn’t really care about what was happening here or what was going to happen since he too was fortunate enough to get the famous envelope from Professor Rowan. Soon enough, he'd be kissing Twinleaf Town good-bye… for now.

However, he’d have to be blind not to notice the drastic changes that have been going on around town. A week ago, a fountain appeared at the north gate of town. What was just a plain field was now a small, yet beautiful park. The townspeople supported the idea wholeheartedly at first but soon enough, houses were bought off and demolished. Then, construction began for what seems to be a roller coaster, an arcade, a food court, and so on. Last week, a sign was put up near Route 210 that states "Welcome to Aidenland: Coming Soon!"

Jason couldn’t help but wonder how Aiden was getting away with this. Twinleaf was more of a village than a town and now it was starting to look like a giant amusement park. _‘Why wasn’t anyone stopping him?’_ he thought but soon enough, he’ll be long gone before it ever matters.

"Is there a problem here?" a voice calls from behind Jason and Vanessa. They turn around and see a man in his early 20s wearing a visor and sunglasses while carrying a bag of golf clubs. There is something striking about his appearance that seems to emit an aura of "I'm important" despite the casual attire he is donning.

"Ah, Master Aiden!" The reception says. "How was the golf course?"

Vanessa's eyes light up as she realizes this man is the enemy she’s looking for.  _'Busy?’_ she thought. _‘He was out golfing! Wait, there's a golf course now?!'_

"It was exceptional. We need to cut down more of the forest. You know, in case this golf course gets boring. Tell Isabella to start plans for it."

The reception nods in agreement and scurries away.

"You!" Vanessa sticks out her finger at the man. "You need to cease construction, at once! It's because of you and your construction of whatever, I can't sleep, eat, or watch my darn video!"

The wealthy man chuckles, perhaps out of pity than amusement.

"What's so funny?" Jason asks defensively for his friend’s sake.

"How selfish!” he laughs. “You whine about your own personal problems but here I am trying to turn this dump into paradise. We all make sacrifices. You, your entertainment. Mine, my time. Surely, you can sacrifice a little bit of your needs, can't you?" Aiden moves his way past the two of them and steps into the Aidenland Tower lobby with Vanessa and Jason following. Vanessa wasn’t having it.

"Wait, just a minute here, you—"

"Isabella?" Aiden claps his hands. Suddenly, a beautiful, bespectacled woman appears from another room and approaches the three of them.

"Yes, Aiden, sir?"

"Please remove them from my lobby. You can give them a form to file their complaint so that I'm cozy at night near my fireplace." Aiden lets out a half-smirk at the two.

"Understood."

"Now if you’ll all excuse me, I have a bathtub of money to sink in," Aiden says.

The bespectacled woman suddenly grabs the two of them with unexpected strength and starts dragging them out of the lobby against their will. One can hear, "I'll remember this! You hear me?!" from Vanessa as they are thrown out.

Watching his childhood friend continue to throw tantrums, Jason sighs, wondering what he had gotten himself into. He looks at the small clock tower near the skyscraper and notices that today’s dilemma had kept them from doing more important things.

"Vanessa, the time! We need to get ready before we head to the professor's place."

"Ah, you're right!" Vanessa gasps. "That dumb snob got me all worked up for nothing!"

Without a second to waste, the two of them wave their goodbyes and promise to meet again at the scheduled time after they were done packing for their short journey to the neighboring town that Professor Rowan resides in.

 

□ ■ □ ■ □

 

At the strike of noon, Vanessa and Jason meet up with each other at the gates of Twinleaf Town that would lead them up Route 201 to Sandgem Town. They are holding bicycles and are carrying bags of supplies for their trip. Vanessa's parents are there along with Jason's mother who are wishing the two of them off safely.

"Please take care of each other," Vanessa's mother tells the two of them.

"Don't let Vanessa do anything dumb, Jason. I'm counting on you!" Vanessa's father laughs as Vanessa and her mother give him disapproving looks.

"It's just a small trip," Jason’s mother reassures them. "Just do whatever he needs you to do and be back home, okay?"

"Pfft. Yeah right!" Vanessa asserts. " _Jason_ can come back if he wants, but there's no way I'm coming back until I'm champion."

The group of adults laugh with Vanessa and how knowingly rash she can be. However, they know if anyone can be champion, it would probably be her.

 _‘He hasn’t told his mom anything, has he?’_ Vanessa looks at Jason who is frowning at her response. There was no way he was coming back.

"Jason, will you also be competing with Vanessa?" Vanessa's dad asks him. “Only one of you can become champion but you know I’m on both of your sides.”

"…I don't know yet. Probably not!"

Jason's mother steps toward the boy and places her arms on his shoulders. She smiles and tells him, "That's okay. Do whatever you want! We'll be supporting you in whatever you decide. Just don’t be a stranger, okay?”

Jason smiles and nods silently.

"We better not keep you waiting! Please, take care!" Vanessa's mom exclaims.

"Call us!"

As the two pedal away on their bicycles with their bags on their backs, their parents wave farewell to them and wish for their safety.

 

□ ■ □ ■ □

 

Beyond the trees of Twinleaf Town and the road that takes them here, Sandgem Town is peaceful and larger than the small town that Twinleaf is. Besides the skyscraper that Twinleaf now has, the buildings in Sandgem were taller and more markets existed in the area. There were actual Pokémon Trainers here. To the southeast lies the town’s main attraction: plenty of sand in the shore of Route 219. They say people coming from Jubilife City up north would stop by in warmer seasons to enjoy themselves in the town’s waters.

Another main attraction is none other than the laboratory of Professor Rowan. In front, Vanessa and Jason climb up the hill on their bicycles and finally reach the entrance after a couple hours. They notice a limousine is driving away from the laboratory as the two were approaching but pay no mind to it since Vanessa can’t contain her excitement.

“So, this is Professor Rowan's lab," Jason says as he gets off his bike.

"Seems like it!" Vanessa giggles. "What do you think the old man is like? You nervous?"

"You look more nervous than I do,” Jason laughs.

The two walk to the front door and Jason motions to Vanessa to go ahead and open it. Vanessa reaches for the doorknob and begins to turn it.  _'This is it! This is what I've been waiting for!'_  she thought. The anticipation had been killing her. She has been waiting every moment of her life for this moment.

They step in after being guided by a few assistants and see the old man they were expecting standing next to a  _very_  familiar looking person. Their hearts sink in realization of this familiar feeling. That person next to the old man turns to them and smiles in twisted delight.

"Y-You!" Vanessa stammers.

"What are you doing here?" Jason asks in shock.

That person is none other than Aiden holding a red-and-white patterned envelope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This fanfiction is a heavily modified version of improvised skits I used to do with my younger cousins with the main, original characters being their own. To keep the memory alive, I decided to turn our adventure that took us all the way to Spear Pillar into a fanfiction that I hope others might enjoy and be interested in.
> 
> This fanfiction is very, VERY, loosely based on the game's plot but also takes a little from the anime. I tried my best to create my own spin on a different kind of Sinnoh. Thank you again for reading. I hope you'll stick around!
> 
>  
> 
>   
> 


	2. A Skyscraper in a Sea of Trees - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Previously...**  
>  We are introduced Vanessa; an assertive, loud girl with dreams of becoming champion like her idol Cynthia; and her childhood friend Jason; a quiet, level-headed boy who is dragged along for the ride. They are amongst those chosen by Professor Rowan to start their journey. Meanwhile, Twinleaf Town, their hometown, is being torn apart by a rich man named Aiden who wishes to turn the small town into an amusement park/utopia. When Vanessa and Jason make their complaints, Aiden is intrigued by them and decides to participate in Professor Rowan's experiment his own way, envelope in hand.

_“I’ll remember this! YOU HEAR ME?!”_

Aiden could still hear the sound of the girl’s wailing from earlier when Isabella dragged her and her friend outside of the lobby. She was so loud and unreasonably angry. It reminded Aiden of tax collectors he had been avoiding for as long as he could remember. Strangely, he hasn’t heard even a mention of them in some time now but he suspects Isabella, his lead assistant, to have something to do with that.

Although he was used to complaints, in truth, Aiden was genuinely shocked that the two teenagers were upset over something so trivial. It left an impression on him on his generally uneventful day.

“I can’t watch my video!” Aiden laughed, trying to mimic the angry tone of the girl’s voice. With usually no interest in the townspeople, he wondered just who those kids were.

“Aiden, sir, may I speak?” A voice on the other side of the door interrupted his peaceful time in the bath, bringing him back to reality. The voice belonged to none other than Isabella.

“What is it?” he replied.

“I am here to report that the deforestation of the area south of town has begun for the new golf course. Also, construction of a few amusement park rides including the ‘Starmie Ferris Wheel’, your favorite, will begin tomorrow as scheduled. We have also finalized more contracts with Twinleaf Town residents to demolish their homes for new projects,” Isabella states.

“Good.”

“…Furthermore, I brought you a bathrobe.”

“That won’t be necessary. Dollars are not wet and I am fully clothed.” Aiden gets out of his tub filled with Pokémon Dollars and heads over to the mirror to check his appearance. He looked exactly the same as before he stepped into the tub. He opens the door to find a relieved Isabella on the other side.

“If I may, sir, bathing in paper dollars does not improve hygiene…” Isabella starts, causing Aiden to roll his eyes. “Oh, I almost forgot. This particular envelope came with the mail.” Aiden takes the envelope from Isabella and notices it is unusually decorative. It has a red-and-white color scheme and patterned to resemble a Poké Ball.

“Hmph. A letter from the old geezer. How rare!” Aiden snorts. “It’s not like him to send such colorful letters. I bet that kid had something to do with it.”

Aiden opens the envelope and starts reading it aloud, “Let’s see… ‘Congratulations Nicholas, for being among the few—’ Wait a minute… Who’s Nicholas? Is he that old now? Has he lost his mind? At least he picked a boy’s name…”

“Oh, there was no name on the envelope. Perhaps it was sent to the wrong address. Shall I take care of it for you?” Isabella asks. However, Aiden ignores her and continues reading the letter, albeit silently now, with interest.

“So the old man is running the experiment again now, is he?” Aiden says, amused. “It will be just like good old times. Isabella, prepare me a limousine and pack the essentials. I’m going on vacation.”

“Pardon? What of Aidenland?” Isabella asks, already dialing a number on her phone.

“Congratulations, Isabella. You’ve been promoted. You will be in charge of managing Aidenland while I’m away. Start projects only with my confirmation and we’ll keep in touch! Keep your phone on you at all times.”

“Understood!” Isabella replies as she leaves the room to make the call.

Aidenland is a dream of Aiden but one of many dreams. Still, it is nothing more than an investment to throw cash at that will inevitably make him richer than he already was. First, Aidenland will take over all of Twinleaf Town. Twinleaf Town will soon become Aidenland itself. Then, it will take over the whole, darn world.  _That_  is his dream. However, that dream seems to be working out just fine on its own, whether he has involvement in it or not.

In his luxurious bedroom on the 77th floor of Aidenland Inc. Tower, Aiden picks up a photograph framed on his desk of the days he was a Pokémon trainer in his youth. It was a group picture, however, it had been cropped to only show Aiden’s face.

 _‘I wonder if they’re still thinking about how awesome I am?’_  he thinks to himself.

Aiden has kept other remnants of his time as a trainer, most notably the Pokémon he caught or received on his journey. They were mostly pets and servants to him nowadays but it’s not like they were ever unhappy, or so he thought. They were all completely loyal to him.

Opening a cabinet in his room, he takes out a box. They were filled entirely with Luxury Balls belonging to those old Pokémon of his. While it would be amusing to bring  _all_  of his Pokémon with him on this “vacation”, he wanted the journey to be mostly fresh so he takes one of them with him—the one belonging to his Piplup.

Satisfied, he walks out of his room to the swimming pool located on the same floor and finds his enormous Salamence lying in the empty pool as it always is. It raises its head and walks towards Aiden while saying hello in the way it knows best—incoherent dragon noises.

“I am leaving, Salamence. Had you not eaten the ball meant to contain you, I might have brought you with me,” Aiden pets the dragon as it makes pleasant, incoherent dragon noises. “Also, you’re too big to fit through the doors.”

The large, winged dragon whines at his words, before the two are alerted by the sounds of shouting coming from the balcony that is separated from the pool room by a glass wall and door.

“…yeah right!” a voice can be heard indistinctly. "…back if he wants, but there's no way I'm … until I'm champion."

Aiden opens the door and looks down from the 77th floor wondering how in the world someone from the ground is shouting so loud, they can be heard from all the way up here. He recognized that voice and he can only imagine who two of the “ants” by the gates of town must be.

Suddenly, the thought comes to him. The girl was holding an envelope that looked just like the one he got when she came to yell at him earlier. Aiden smirks.

 _‘Today is going to be a lot of fun,’_ he laughs.

The phone buzzes in Aiden’s pocket and the caller ID shows that it’s Isabella, who tells him that the limousine to Sandgem Town is prepared. He tells her that he will be right down and turns around, only to find Salamence with its head poking through the door, staring at him. He could not help but be amused but needed it to move or else he’d be stuck on the balcony.

“I gotta go, Salamence,” Aiden smiles, petting his Salamence one last time.

 

□ ■ □ ■ □

 

“Y-You!” Aiden watches the girl scream at him in shock from his surprise appearance at Professor Rowan’s laboratory in Sandgem Town. While he was anticipating the reactions of the two teenagers, he did not realize how tiresome it would eventually get to listen to the girl screech words at him for an extended period of time. The thought of this happening time and time again makes him shudder. The energy and volume coming from this girl’s mouth could make a Loudred question its worth. Perhaps these surprises should come to an end.

There were a few other kids here who arrived for the same purpose presumably and while there were some astonished looks and whispers upon his grand entrance from his limousine, it was simply not comparable to what was happening now.

“You sure took your sweet time.” Aiden smirks, finally getting a word in. “I could have sworn you two left town first. How could it be that I arrived before you?”

“That limo was yours?” the boy next to her asks. “How did we miss it on the way here?”

“Was that ‘Trainer Tips’ sign on Route 201 that interesting? You do know that nobody reads those, right?” Aiden mocking replies.

“You-you stalker!” the girl screams at him. “Did you follow us here?”

“Wait… that envelope,” the boy points to the envelope in Aiden’s hand. “Were you also invited by the professor?”

“Ah, finally! At least one of you can figure it out.” Aiden claps his hands and begins raising his voice, “Yes, it is true! I guess we’ll be comrades for some time, huh?”

“Why, you—!“

“May I speak now?” Everyone turns to the elderly man who had been standing next to Aiden this whole time. From the expression he has on his face, it would seem like he was completely done with their nonsense and could not spare another minute of his time wasted.

“First of all, why do you have that envelope? Why are you here?” the man asks Aiden while taking the envelope from him to read. Aiden wasn’t taking this seriously at all.

“Whatever do you mean? I’m Nicholas!” Aiden gives an insincere, defensive look to him.

“Aiden, I may be old but I assure you my memory is perfectly fine,” Professor Rowan asserts.

“Ah, c’mon, Uncle Rowan. You can—“

“Professor Rowan!”

“Right,  _Professor_  Rowan,” Aiden starts. He can hardly keep himself from laughing. “I just came by to visit you. You know? It’s only been ten years.”

“Bah,” Professor Rowan lets out.

“Let me be part of your experiment! The more the merrier right?” Aiden finishes.

“...Fine. Just be quiet and stay still!” Professor Rowan shouts, “Anyway. Welcome. I take it you two are the kids from Twinleaf Town. Thank you for coming all the way here. I am Professor Rowan, a Pokémon researcher here in Sandgem Town and I—”

“Yeah, we all know who you are! Get on with it,” Aiden cuts in. Aiden pretends to yawn and silently laughs as his uncle gives him very disapproving looks.

With the atmosphere kind of awkward now, the girl begins to speak.

“Thank you for having us. It is  _such_  an honor to help the great Pokémon professor of our time! There is no one more wise, more brilliant, more outspoken, more  _handsome_ , than Professor Rowan of Sandgem Town—the world’s greatest!” the girl says, “By the way, do we get free Pokémon or were the rumors wrong?”

The boy next to her was disturbed and had his mouth open, unable to process what his friend just declared. Everyone in the room was dead silent, staring at the group while Aiden was laughing hysterically to the side.

“I’m so sorry about my friend. She’s just a big fan of yours!” he explains. The girl gives him an “Ew, gross” expression but suddenly changes to “happy smiles” upon reassessing the situation.

“I’m Vanessa Coronet.” The girl reaches out her hand for a handshake which the old man takes. “It’s an absolute pleasure to meet you, sir. Please pardon my outburst. I just couldn’t contain my excitement!”

“Not to worry, young miss! I have great expectations for you,” Professor Rowan laughs. The professor looks to the boy next to her. “And you must be Jason!”

“Yes! It’s nice to meet you,” the boy replies as he shakes the professor’s hand.

Professor Rowan steps away from the group and stands to the back of the room to get everyone’s attention. He clears his throat and says, “Now that everyone’s here, let me tell you all about the experiment.” An employee moves to the back of the room and presses a button which causes the lights to slowly dim down. Soon, a blank, wide screen descends from the ceiling and the image of what seems to be a poorly-designed slideshow presentation displays on the screen.

“This is hideous…” Vanessa murmurs, leading to Jason to elbow her.

“We are currently testing new prototype Pokémon Pokédexes that will soon be released to trainers across Sinnoh thanks to the talented young adults of our generation. As you can see on the slide, these Pokédexes now come in a variety of colors including: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.”

“Wow. What a breakthrough…” Aiden sarcastically remarks.

“Would you shut up!” The voice was unfamiliar which caught Aiden off-guard. He expected it to come from the professor or the girl but this was certainly a surprise. He looks in the direction of the voice and notices that it came from an unfamiliar boy, one of the other kids chosen for the experiment.

“Someone’s jealous that I called dibs on the blue one,” Aiden states, resulting in whispers around the room from kids who were upset that he called dibs including Vanessa and Jason.

“Anyway!” Professor Rowan interrupts the commotion. “More importantly, I need you kids to go out and gather research data on Pokémon across the region for me with a Pokédex of your own. As you can see in this illustration on the slide, it is quite simple to scan a Pokémon which will automatically be sent to me.”

On the slide is a humorously drawn comic depicting a boy pointing his Pokédex at what appears to be a Starly. Upon recognizing the Pokémon, a flash of light appears from the bulb on the Pokédex which harmlessly targets the Pokémon. Moments later, information about the Pokémon pops up on the screen of the Pokédex, detailing characteristics such as height, weight, type, and also provides an automatic description about the Pokémon which may include habitat, diet, and behaviors. In the final panel is a picture of what looks like a young Professor Rowan, cheering happily at the data that has been remotely sent to him through email.

“What? Don’t you have enough data?” Aiden asks. “What’s the point?”

“I’m glad you asked… although I clearly remember asking you to stay quiet,” Professor Rowan asserts. “Even today, there is much to learn about Pokémon. There is still so much we do not know. Just last month, one of my former students wrote back to me and was shocked to discover a peculiar snow-like variant of the Pokémon ‘Vulpix’ in a distant region that he thinks are native there.”

“Wow!” Jason exclaims. “Who would have thought?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Vanessa replies. “So, how long do you expect us to do this for you? We don’t even have Pokémon to protect us. Do you expect us to bathe in repellents? No thanks.”

“You may choose to stop whenever you wish. However, I would prefer if you at least kept at it for a month. Think of this as volunteering,” Professor Rowan assures her. Realizing this is the end of his sentence, Vanessa clearly loses patience.

“ _And_ …?” Vanessa asks.

“…And you will be given a Pokémon to accompany you,” Professor Rowan sighs. “Alongside data sent automatically from your Pokédexes, I will also be expecting handwritten reports detailing the growth about the Pokémon given to you. It can be about anything from how it acts to how you’ve been caring for it.”

Vanessa’s eyes light up and her whole demeanor changes again from critically suspicious to completely on board. If this didn’t work out, she would have totally tied a Pokémon up in the fields and dragged it with her if she had to in order to become champion… at least until she could properly catch it, that is.

“Now then, I’d also like to introduce your supervisors,” Professor Rowan says.

“What?” Aiden and Vanessa question in perfect sync.

There are groans and whispers coming from the other kids as the lights in the room return to normal. At the same time, on cue, a few lab assistants get up from their chairs. Among them is a boy with a matching red hat and scarf who turns around and approaches Aiden, Vanessa, and Jason. The boy has a very enthusiastic smile on his face. The sheer amount of joy he is radiating made the three feel a little uneasy. It was like he was trying too hard to look welcoming and friendly.

 “H-hi! You must be the Twinleaf kids—and Aiden. I-I’m Lucas!” the new boy mentions. “I’m one of Professor Rowan’s assistants and now your supervisor. I’ll be guiding you three on your journey across Sinnoh! Thank you for having me!” The boy suddenly bows.

The three of them just stare at him in silence, unsure of what to really say. The boy seemed somewhat older than Vanessa and Jason. Perhaps he was a little closer to Aiden’s age? Maybe younger? Still, they can’t help but notice how awkward he’s acting in front of them.

Professor Rowan looks in their direction and sighs.  _‘Please go easy on him…”_ he thinks.

“Wait, you said ‘you  _three_ ’. You’re not expect us to go with  _him_ , are you?” Vanessa points at Aiden. Lucas panics for a bit, telling her that it was definitely the plan.

“Aw, c’mon Francesca! We’ll get along great!” Aiden smiles, overjoyed to see the girl’s disapproval. “Me. You. Mason. That guy. What a team we’ll be!”

“I’m gonna barf,” Jason lets out. “He can’t even get our names right.”

Professor Rowan walks up to another group of kids and speaks to their supervisor who nods to him after exchanging words. They turn their head and call out to Lucas and other supervisors before walking to the nearby table to grab the bags sitting there. Professor Rowan walks out to a different room upon the announcement.

“Ah, looks like it’s time to distribute the Pokémon,” Lucas tells the group as he notices. He walks over to the other supervisor and retrieves a bags from them. Vanessa’s and Jason’s eyes light up from the sight of the Poké Ball logo on the bags.

“Here they are!” Lucas opens the bag in front of them upon his return to reveal three Poké Balls. Each of them are marked with stickers to indicate what Pokémon might reside in which ball. Soon enough, Lucas quickly opens each one to show his group of trainers which one they would be picking.

It was, of course, the classic three. There was no Pokémon more classic in Sinnoh than the proud Piplup, the playful Chimchar, and the friendly Turtwig. The three Pokémon seem rather new as if they had only been hatched a few months ago. Upon closer inspection, it is as if there is a glimmer of youth shimmering in their eyes, curious of who these humans standing in front of them are.

“I already have Pokémon. No thank you.” Aiden says as he walks away from them to stand by the door. The three Pokémon watch him leave with the slightest amount of concern on their faces as if they felt a raindrop or two on their picnic date.

 “Fair enough,” Lucas replies with a smile. “Do you two have an idea of which you’ll take? I raised the three of them myself up until now. They’re wonderful Pokémon. You’ll absolutely love them.”

“Garchomp,” Vanessa states in disappointment. Lucas blinks a few times, unable to process what was said for a mere moment.

“Um, pardon?” he asks.

“I need—a Garchomp.” There was sudden silence in the room and the other groups of kids, Professor Rowan, and the lab assistants all had eyes on them.

“Uh… a Garchomp…?” Lucas repeats in discomfort. “I-I don’t think we—“

“ _Cynthia_  uses a Garchomp. Therefore, I need a Garchomp if I’m going to become the next champion!” Vanessa explains. “Do you understand? So do you have one or not?”

“Well, no. Not exactly! Well, sort of, but it’s kind of complicated. I really don’t—“

“What?” Vanessa stomps towards him. “Do you have one or not?”

“Enough!” Professor Rowan interrupts. The sound of his yell was startling, rivaling Vanessa's intimidation. “Lucas, just give it to her.”

Lucas hesitates for a minute as if he wants to refuse. However, he gives in and starts taking off the bag on his back to open it. Reaching inside, he takes out a Poké Ball and reluctantly gives it to Vanessa who couldn’t look happier now that it was in her hands.

Vanessa sends out the Pokémon out of the ball immediately in excitement to see the beauty and powerhouse that would soon be standing in front of her. However, that excitement soon turns into confusion upon seeing what came out.

“It’s… a Gible. That’s good enough, right?” Lucas explains dejectedly. “I found him lost, wandering around Jubilife City a couple of days ago when I was doing errands for the professor. Pretty unusual, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Vanessa replies. Despite feeling satisfied, she can’t help but feel confused as if she did something wrong here. Everyone was staring at her. “Is everything okay?”

“Y-Yes! Of course! Honestly, I was planning on keeping that one but… it’s okay!” Lucas replies, suddenly fired up. “I’m going to be your supervisor from now on so it’s totally okay if one of Professor Rowan’s kids need something from me time to time. Right?”

“Sure…” Vanessa says. Despite this, she can’t help but feel happy that she finally has a Pokémon. Soon, the whole world will know her name.

“Anyway, Jason, was it? Do you have a starter you have in mind?” Lucas asks eagerly. “You kinda look like the Turtwig-type of guy. What do you think?”

Jason stares at the three Pokémon in front of him. It almost seemed like each of them were begging him to pick them as if they would die if they weren’t selected. He then looks at Lucas who although is smiling, looks completely stressed out. Vanessa is looking at him because she knows exactly what Pokémon he wants and cannot tell what this hesitation he is displaying is for. Thanks to Vanessa, all eyes on the room are on him.

“I’ll take the Turtwig,” Jason says weakly.

Vanessa blinks twice.

“What?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
>   
> 


	3. A Skyscraper in a Sea of Trees - Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Previously...**  
>  It is revealed that Aiden's envelope came to him by mistake. Despite this, he decides to keep it anyway, now aware of Professor Rowan's experiment, because he feels nostalgic of his days as a new Pokemon Trainer—or so it seems. His choice Pokemon is Piplup. The scene skips forward to when Vanessa and Jason encounter him in Professor Rowan's laboratory where they meet the old man and notice the number of kids also participating. Vanessa, Jason, and Aiden are put together into a group and are introduced their supervisor: an awkward, enthusiastic boy named Lucas. Vanessa, being offered a starter Pokemon, demands a Garchomp and is met halfway by being given a Gible. Jason, with eyes on him, reluctantly picks Turtwig much to Vanessa's shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following changes were made when this chapter was published:  
> \- Vanessa taking her envelope with her has been made more apparent in Ch. 1.  
> \- Background characters (other supervisors) were given less attention to in Ch. 2.

With all eyes on him, Jason walks toward the grass-type Pokémon in front of him and kneels down. The green, quadrupedal Pokémon is unable to understand the meaning of the boy’s half-smile and happily runs into his arms stretched out for it.

“Looks like a good pair!” Lucas exclaims as he and others in the room clap for the two.

“Jason.” Vanessa walks over and kneels down, whispering to the boy. “What are you doing? This is not the Pokémon you came for.”

“Not now,” he replies, looking only at the Turtwig in his arms.

“What the heck? I know you,” Vanessa continues. “Tell the guy you changed your mind and what you really want. Don’t make decisions you’ll regret!”

“Just stop. I’m keeping Turtwig.” Jason turns to Vanessa with an irritated look in his eyes which leaves Vanessa shocked for a moment and unable to push further.

“You’re making a mistake.” Vanessa mutters before getting up and backing off, frustrated at her friend.

 

□ ■ □ ■ □

 

There is something uniquely refreshing about Sandgem Town that Twinleaf Town does not seem to offer. Perhaps it is the salty scent of the air that came from the sea beside town. Surely enough, Vanessa and Jason are only getting a grasp of how different it is here than the town they grew up in.

After later parting with Professor Rowan and gaining Pokédexes, the two of them, and Aiden, were escorted outside by Lucas and were taken on a small tour around Sandgem Town. This would eventually lead them to one of the most important locations in town—the Pokémon Center.

“Have you guys ever been to one?” Lucas asks the group. “You guys know what they’re for, right?”

“We’re not stupid. Everyone knows what they’re for,” Aiden replies. “Some lady stands at the counter inside and we sit back and relax as our Pokémon get healed for free.”

Vanessa and Jason nod in agreement. Although they’ve never needed to go inside of one before, it was truly common knowledge. _‘Cynthia must use them all the time,’_ Vanessa thought.

“That’s right. However, it’s a lot more than that now. Time has surely passed and now Pokémon Centers have grown to provide other services as well. Let’s go inside so you can see for yourself,” Lucas explains as the doors to the Pokémon Center slide open.

There was a lot of people inside. Completely straight from the entrance is just as Aiden said—some nice looking lady dressed as a nurse who appears to be giving a tray of Poké Balls back to a young trainer. To the right of the room is a bunch of tables where people sit at. Spread out on the table in front of them are plates of food.

“You can eat here now?” Jason asks. “Is it also free?!”

“Unfortunately not,” Lucas chuckles. “Also, do you see that trainer going up the stairs to the left? The Pokémon Center is also an inn now where you can rent rooms at a somewhat hefty price. The beds are quite comfy!”

“Thank goodness we don’t have to sleep in tents.” Jason sighs in relief. Lucas then explains he's not allowed to pay for anything on behalf of them which leads to their disappointment.

“Don't even think about asking me for anything,” Aiden states. “I _am_ rich after all!”

Vanessa glares at Lucas’ bag where he put the Poké Balls they were given and asks, “Anyway, we’re here to get Trainer IDs, right? We still don’t have one.”

As of recent years, it is forbidden in the Sinnoh region to engage in Pokémon battles without having a card of identification called a “Trainer ID”. The Trainer ID also doubles as a form of debit card. With the usage of Trainer IDs, it is more convenient to make purchases at “Pokémon trainer”-friendly facilities and also to exchange money with other trainers after battles.

Lucas answers with a, “Yep, follow me” and leads the three of them to the counter where a lady is standing in a nurse’s outfit. As they approach, she gives the group a warm smile. They notice beside her is a Chansey wearing a matching hat.

“Welcome to the Pokémon Center! I’m Nurse Joy. How may I help you all?”

“Hi! We’re here to get Trainer IDs for…” Lucas trails off as he looks at Aiden who seems to already have one—personalized at that, “…Vanessa and Jason here.”

“Right, just complete these forms and then we’ll ask to take a picture for identification,” Nurse Joy says as she gathers clipboards with the documents from under the desk. “Afterwards, your ID should be ready by next morning.”

“Next morning?!” Vanessa exclaims. “What?!”

“It used to take much longer,” Lucas laughs. “Good times!”

“Yeah, don’t be spoiled, _Francesca_.” Aiden can’t help but laugh because Vanessa looks as if she’s ready to bend the clipboard in her hands in half.

“You’re the last person I'd want to hear that from!” Vanessa snaps back.

Moments later, Vanessa and Jason pass in their forms to Nurse Joy as she motions at the Chansey to do something. The Chansey walks to the back room and later comes back with a camera on a tripod much to the group’s surprise.

“Say cheese!” Nurse Joy says as the Chansey begins to take individual pictures of Vanessa and Jason. They both had expressions of excitement, confusion, and discomfort regarding the process. Upon finishing, Lucas explains that there isn’t much more they can do until their IDs arrive.

“Where are we staying for the night?” Jason asks the group. “We still have plenty of time to decide since we can’t go anywhere.”

Although Lucas suggests staying at the Pokémon Center, the rest of the group ultimately decides to head back to Twinleaf Town due to Aiden, unwilling to sleep in a hotel here with his tower still in view, and the younger trainers preferring to save money while in the comfort of their homes.

Soon enough, the group is walking back down Route 201 with Jason and Vanessa holding their bikes beside them as the sun sets.

“Is there a place for you stay at?” Jason asks Lucas who curiously ends up tagging along.

 “My lobby isn’t open to homeless people,” Aiden states nonchalantly. Lucas ignores his comment and tells the group that he has a friend in town he had been meaning to visit and that afterwards, he would come fetch them all in the morning to head back.

After some time, Aiden drops to his knees which catches the attention of the three.

“Aiden! What’s wrong?” Lucas walks back to him and tries to hold him up which leads to Aiden literally pushing him away in disgust.

“I can’t do it,” Aiden replies. “I can’t do this ‘walking’ thing. It's been too long.”

The three let out a sigh and while Vanessa and Jason make disapproving remarks regarding his company, Aiden takes a Poké Ball from his bag and sets free his single Pokémon: Piplup.

“Piplup, carry me!” Aiden shouts as he collapses onto the small penguin Pokémon much to everyone else’s shock.

“Oh god!” Jason shouts. “You’re crushing it!”

And soon enough after being buried, Piplup lifts up the body on top of it effortlessly and begins walking without problems. ‘ _Pip!’_ It vocalizes in satisfaction. Lucas, Vanessa, and Jason can only stare at the sight, dumbfounded.

“There are so many things wrong with this…” Vanessa remarks.

As the group resumes walking at their normal pace while Piplup carries its relaxed owner on top of it with its flippers, they eventually reach Twinleaf Town’s gate next to the unsightly “Welcome to Aidenland” sign.

As the group walk towards the street that Vanessa and Jason live on, the two freeze up and then begin running towards it. Where there were previously houses are completely different buildings, structures, trees, and benches. The street is completely unrecognizable.

“What—” Vanessa stammers as she paces around a lemonade stand that nobody was attending on the side of the road.

“Vanessa? What’s wrong?” Lucas asks as he and Aiden catches up to her. “Why is Jason crying over there next to hot dog stand?”

“W-what have you done?!” Vanessa grabs Aiden by the collar and screams at him. “Explain this to me—now! My house—my parents—where are they?!”

Aiden, releasing himself from Vanessa’s clutches, calmly tells her, “Well, it’s a lemonade stand now as you can clearly see.”

“Aiden…“ Lucas starts.

“Your parents signed a contract and now they’re in Alola or wherever. I don’t know what they did with the huge sum of money I gave them. Anyway, they’ll be working for me now once they’re back from their little vacation that I paid for in exchange for your ugly house. Well, the space it was taking up,” Aiden finishes.

“ _Excuse_ me!?” Vanessa shouts in disbelief, clutching her head at the sight of the lemonade stand.

“What do you mean by working?” Lucas asks.

“Well, someone needs to manage the lemonade stand,” Aiden yawns. “I’m tired. Are we done here?”

“No. Just a second, _you_! Where are they supposed to sleep when they get back? How long are they going to be working for you? This is absurd! My room! Where’s _my_ contract?! I lived here too!” Vanessa screams at him. “You’ve gone too far this time!”

“Heck if I know. Ask Isabella—not me. It’s not my problem,” Aiden shrugs. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a swimming pool of money to dive in—with a dragon!” Aiden quickly walks away towards Aidenland Inc. Tower to leave the enraged Vanessa and whimpering Jason to Lucas.

“Hey—hey! We should find a place to stay in the meantime. It’s dark. You can always call your parents later!” Lucas reassures the two to little avail. “Oh, I have a friend who lives in town like I said. We can stay at his house!”

Without further ado, Lucas drags the two lifeless souls to a different neighborhood in Twinleaf Town. Fortunately, much to his relief, the neighborhood still remains untouched. With a knock on the door, a woman who might be in her 40s opens the door and is delighted when she sees Lucas.

“Hi, it’s nice to see you again!” Lucas tells her, “Is he home?”

“Agh, that boy! Just when young Lucas comes to visit for the first time in months! One minute he is unpacking his bags from out of the blue and shouting ‘You’re sick, ma! Of course, I’m coming back home!’. The next minute, he’s packing everything back and telling me he’s out to marry a beautiful girl on TV!” the woman complains. “Just who does he take after?”

The two of them laugh as they revisit old memories for a bit before Lucas asks if he and the two could spend the night at the house. The woman wholeheartedly agrees and lets them settle down inside.

 

□ ■ □ ■ □

 

“Do you guys know what you’ll be doing on your journey?” Lucas asks Vanessa and Jason. “I might be stuck doing work for Professor Rowan, happily I must add, but that doesn’t mean you guys have to do so as well—all the time that is.”

The three of them are sitting at a dining table with foods on their plates while the woman allows them alone time. Vanessa looks at him for a bit, playing with her food, before sighing because she knows that the boy who would not stop talking is trying to cheer them up.

“Champion. I’m going to beat all eight gyms, crush Cynthia, and take my trophy,” she replies.

“Ah! That sounds like a great idea!” Lucas smiles. “After all that talk about a Garchomp, I’m not surprised.”

“I’m… probably going to do the same thing. For now, at least,” Jason answers, refusing to make much eye contact with the two. “I don’t know what _King Aiden_ wants to do.”

“To torture us obviously.” Vanessa adds. The three of them laugh awkwardly for a bit, actually wondering how true that really was.

“Forgive me if this is too soon, but you guys have a long journey ahead of you,” Lucas assures them. “You have places to explore, people to meet, and only good experiences can come from here on out. Let the grown-ups worry about what becomes of Twinleaf Town and your houses,”

“…You’re right. When I become champion, I’ll show that snobby, rich, demon who’s boss!” Vanessa declares.

“Yeah!” Jason cheers.

Lucas smiles at the two, glad to hear they’ve cheered up, and is shortly called over by the woman letting them stay over, leaving the two to themselves. Jason prepares to get up from the table before Vanessa stops him.

“Jason,” she calls. “Are you going to tell me what happened in the lab today?”

Jason frowns but sits back down, noticing that his friend is not upset like she was earlier today but legitimately concerned.

“It was my choice,” Jason explains. “I know that you were expecting me to ask for an Eevee like I planned but… things happened.”

“What?” Vanessa face changes from concerned to skeptical. “What ‘things’ happened?”

“Just forget it,” Jason replies. “Just know I don’t regret my choice.”

Vanessa is at a loss of words, leaving Jason the opportunity to mention that he’s heading to bed as he walks away. It was hard for Vanessa to help if Jason did not want it. If he is fine with his decision, then she would support it. However, she can’t help but feel bothered still. _‘We’re supposed to be friends.’_ Vanessa thought in mild frustration. _‘We should be telling each other everything.’_

As a long day’s journey becomes halted by the passing night, the group falls asleep, anticipating what could be the official beginning of their adventure when the morning sun rises.

 

□ ■ □ ■ □

 

The next morning, Lucas, Vanessa, and Jason express their gratitude to the woman for her hospitality and wave her goodbye. They were to reluctantly meet Aiden at the gates of town so that they could hurry back to Sandgem Town to pick up the IDs.

Although Aiden greets them enthusiastically because he knows it would bother them, Vanessa and Jason refuse to even look at him, marching past him to begin walking down Route 201. Unsurprisingly, Aiden summons his Piplup out and allows it to carry him all the way there—much to the others’ embarrassment when trainers they pass by stare at them.

Eventually, they make their way to the Pokémon Center as planned.

“Ah, welcome to the Poké—”

“Yeah, hi! Where’s our IDs?” Vanessa interrupts restlessly. “Do you have them? I’m Vanessa Coronet.”

“I’m Jason—”

“Oh!” Nurse Joy exclaims. “For some reason, they haven’t arrived yet. They were supposed to be here this morning. Where could that deliveryman be?” Nurse Joy answers with a finger on her chin and her head tilted. It was difficult to tell if it was actual concern or an “I couldn’t care less”.

“Agh!” Vanessa screams in frustration and begins marching out the door as her companions stare in bewilderment. They soon exchange looks at each other before Aiden shrugs and asks if they could order something to eat.

“Aiden,” Lucas gives a stern look. “You’re her friend. You should talk to her. It’s probably your fault she’s been screaming all this time.”

 _‘She’s actually always like that.’_ Jason thinks to himself.

“We’re not friends,” Aiden assures him. “If you guys don’t want to eat, I’ll get started.”

Without further ado, Lucas drags the two of them out of the Pokémon Center to see Vanessa sitting down on the steps to the building from outside.

“Hey Vanessa. What are you doing?” Jason hesitantly asks. “Do you want to come inside to eat?” Jason looks to Lucas who is watching them from the other side of the glass door, giving him a thumbs up and smile of encouragement.

“No. I’m waiting for the deliveryman so I can give him a piece of my mind!” Vanessa answers. “You guys can eat without me.”

“Okay, see ya!” Aiden steps back inside much to Lucas’ disapproval.

Jason takes a seat next to Vanessa since it doesn’t seem like there was much else he could do. He can hear the muffled sound of Lucas’ angry mom-like rant to Aiden as he orders food at the counter.

“Are you really going to do gym battles?” Vanessa asks. Jason looks to her and notices the dead serious look on her face. He considers the possibility that Vanessa is worried about the two of them becoming rivals.

“Maybe. Probably just for fun,” Jason replies back. “Really, I just like Pokémon. I don’t really care what I do as long as I can see the world and be with them.”

“Is that right?” Vanessa responds. “I just think that—“

“L-Let go!” a shout comes from across the street. A girl with blonde hair is standing next to a strange man wearing an unflattering uniform. The two take notice of their fidgeting movements. Between them is a handbag that the man is trying to pull away from her.

“Is he… robbing her?!” Jason stands up.

The strange man finally manages to forcibly take the handbag from her and then proceeds to push her onto the ground to buy time for his escape. Without a moment of hesitation, the man begins to sprint out of town in the direction of Route 201.

“Hey! Are you okay?” Jason shouts to her.

“Never mind that! Help me get my bag. Do something!” the girl says as she starts sprinting after him. Jason looks to Vanessa who doesn’t seem to be sure what to do in this situation.

“We should go after them!” Jason tells her.

“We shouldn’t get involved,” Vanessa replies back, breaking eye contact. “This is something the police should take care of.”

“They’re already getting away. We need to act _now_. We can’t just leave her alone!” Jason tells her.

“I’m going to wait for the delivery…” Vanessa says. “I don’t really care about that girl. She's a stranger. The sooner we can leave this place, the better.”

Jason was starting to lose his cool. He’s had just about enough.

“You know, you really only care about yourself! You control people, make a scene, and step all over them!” Jason tells her. “With that kind of mindset, you’re no better than Aiden.”

“What?! How dare you compare me to him!” Vanessa shouts.

“Then prove it to me,” Jason says. “Or are you going to be tearing down houses too for the sake of becoming champion?”

Vanessa is truly at a loss of words. It wasn’t like Jason, the guy who kind of just listened to whatever she said to become upset like this. She knew he was right but Vanessa just isn’t the type to accept defeat in an argument.

“Fine, you win,” Vanessa mutters. Still, Vanessa wasn’t going to choose her stubbornness over the loss of an important friend. It stung but that was for another time.

“Let’s go,” Jason says as the two of them starting running down Route 201. Thankfully, the girl and the thief are still in sight thanks to how straightforward the route is between the two towns. As they run past Twinleaf Town, there could only be one place they could go to.

Next to the famous Lake Verity stood the blonde girl and the uniformed man standing across from each other. They were both out of breath.

“I… I finally caught up to you, you thief!” the blonde girl says. “Hand it over!”

“Damn… I wasn’t expecting you to catch up. I’m really not the athletic type…” the strange man says, trying to catch his breath. “You know that’s not happening, right?”

The strange man moves his hand to a Poké Ball clipped onto his belt and throws it in front of him. Out comes the figure of a bluish, purple scorpion, ready to fulfill its owner’s wishes: a Skorupi.

“You’re wrong if you think I’d stand aside and act helpless!” the girl shouted. From a pocket in her pink jacket, the girl takes out a Pokéball of her own and sends out what’s inside: a Skitty.

 _‘You can do this, Skittle. I know you can win this!’_ she thought.

“Skittle, Double-Slap!” the girl directs as she points at her enemy’s Skorupi. The small, pink cat rushes to the scorpion and attempts to smack the it but there was no way it was going to just stay still and take the hits. With the commands of their trainers, the two Pokémon land hits on each other until a strike would decide the victor.

“Now, Poison Tail!” the man shouts. With Skitty’s back facing Skorupi after previously dodging an attack, Skitty is knocked away into a tree from the powerful blow.

“Skittle!” the girl calls out as she runs to her Pokémon.

“Nice try!” the man laughs in celebration. “Now stay there or you’ll end up like your Skitty there.”

“Not so fast!” cried a voice coming from the Verity lakefront. Jason and Vanessa come storming in and notice the aftermath of what appears to have been a battle. It doesn’t seem like the guy’s Skorupi was in any trouble at all.

“Damn it, you got friends?!” the man steps back in panic. “Stay back!” The man looks around for an escape route to no avail but looks at the girl and shouts, “Stay back or I’ll hurt the girl!” The man sidesteps closer to the girl who wore an indignant look on her face. His Skorupi starts moving in closer to her to pressure Jason and Vanessa.

“You coward!” Vanessa shouts. She turns to her partner in justice and softly utters, “…Jason, what should we do? We have no Pokémon.”

“…Right, I didn’t quite think that through. Lucas has them… Do you think we can keep up this staring contest with him until help comes?” Jason jokes.

“Very funny.”

 

□ ■ □ ■ □

 

_‘…victim of the assault was revealed to be Lucianne Oreburgh, daughter of the late Christophe Oreburgh, president of the Oreburgh Mining Company. The woman suffered bodily injuries to the head and was transported… ’_

Back at the Pokémon Center, Aiden and Lucas are sitting across from each other at one of the tables for dining. There is a television screen—broadcasting a news channel—mounted on the wall at their table. The place is a little quieter and not nearly as crowded as it was yesterday. Lucas is barely eating, too worried about whether Jason was able to cheer up Vanessa or not.

“This food is gross. Yuck,” Aiden says, putting his utensils down. “I demand high quality food. I should have figured a Pokémon Center would serve nothing but garbage.”

Lucas rolls his eyes and tells him, “The menu was made with young trainers in mind: affordable. I don’t think it’s that bad. It’s the same with the bedrooms upstairs that you can rent; it was made so that trainers can use them when in need and then leave in the morning.”

“Well, I’m CEO of Aidenland Inc.. I refuse to be associated with this rubbish,” Aiden responds, taking his and Lucas’ plates to give to a nearby Pokémon Center Chansey to take care of.

“I was still eating that…” Lucas grumbles. “They’ve been outside for some time now. Maybe I should check on them.”

“You shouldn’t spoil them,” Aiden states as Lucas gets up from his seat. “They’re big kids. They can handle their own emotions.”

“Strange,” Lucas raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t think you cared about them.”

“ _Care?_ About J-Lo and Vanilla?” Aiden snorts. “I just need you to stay in case I’m in need of your services. In fact, my back is absolutely killing me. That Piplup can’t carry me straight. Could you rub my shoulders?”

Lucas leaves the table without a word to say and walks outside of the Pokémon Center.

“Hey!” Aiden calls for him. Aiden grabs his phone from his pocket and speed dials his head assistant. “Isabella, I need you to deliver food to me ASAP!”

Aiden hangs up after Isabella complies and takes a sip from the glass of water left on the table for him. After a small gulp, he spits it out and comments aloud, “Even the water here is disappointing!” which gives him a few looks in the room.

Soon after, a quiet commotion coming from the table next to him briefly occurs which ends with a boy coming to Aiden’s table and sitting in the seat across from him.

“Hello Aiden,” the boy smiles. Of the many types of smiles, it was definitely an unpleasant one. “I hear you’re enjoying the food here.”

“Do I know you?” Aiden asks.

“I’d be surprised if you remembered anyone’s faces much less their names,” the boy replied. Aiden shrugs and nods his head, agreeing with the statement. “I’m one of Professor Rowan’s ‘chosen ones’—Tony Spark. Remember it!”

Suddenly, the memory of a random boy in the laboratory telling him to shut up comes to Aiden which causes him to laugh.

“What? Are you upset I called dibs on the blue Pokédex?” Aiden smirks.

“Actually, no.” The boy pulls out a black-colored Pokédex out from his pocket. “Black is my favorite color. I just wanted to get to know someone from the weirdest, most obnoxious group. You see. I’m from the Jubilife City group and we’re pretty loud people but you guys are _loud_. You get me?”

“I'm pretty sure the old man said only the colors of the rainbow were the only options we could pick from. How funny.” Aiden wipes his mouth with a napkin and gives him an uninterested look. He was suddenly bored of this kid. Although Vanessa is loud and easily tempered, she was at least entertaining to him. This guy just seemed annoying and full of himself.

“I’m sorry to tell you this but the loud ones aren’t here right now. What do you want from me?” Aiden questions him. This only causes the boy to smirk right back at him.

“Now why does the infamous CEO of Aidenland Inc. want to hang out with the younger kids and go on a journey? Aren’t you a bit old? Do share.” the boy asks.

A girl rushes over to the table upon hearing this, presumably someone from his group in the table over.

“That’s enough,” she tells the boy. “We don’t need to antagonize people.”

“We don’t but I definitely want to,” the boy laughs.

“Shush!” The girl turns to Aiden and looks apologetic. “We’re really sorry for bothering you. I’ll take him back.”

“I am most definitely not—”

Aiden takes his glass of water, gets up, and pours it slowly on the boy’s head which shuts the two of them up.

“He’s all yours,” Aiden replies, looking stoically at the disturbed girl. The two give him a look before they leave the room to get the boy dried up. Isabella walks through the front door a minute after with a group of chefs bringing in carts of prepared food.

“Please tell me the food isn’t cold,” Aiden says to Isabella who quickly takes napkins to wipe the table dry. She tells him they prepared it in the classy restaurant down the street and that it should be to his liking.

Lucas walks into the building soon after and stares at the scene in confusion while walking towards Aiden.

“I… won’t ask,” Lucas starts. “I don’t see them. I walked everywhere in the area. Did they tell you where they went?”

Aiden points to his mouth to indicate that he’s too busy chewing to answer his question. He drags on the process for a while to Lucas’ frustration before they are alerted to someone’s shout at the entrance.

“Trainer IDs are here!” A man steps inside with a giant box in his hands. There are a bunch of cheers of excitement from new starting trainers in the room. The man takes the package and puts it on the counter where Nurse Joy is standing.

“Thank the heavens they’re here!” Nurse Joy smiles. “The kids here have been waiting all morning.”

The man laughs and explains, “We were running a little behind schedule. Though, it was also my fault too I guess. It’s a funny story! I was walking into town from Jubilife when I accidently bumped into this oddly dressed guy who was holding a box… kinda like this one actually! We both fell down and when I asked him if he was okay, he panicked for some reason, grabbed his box, and started running away! I don’t think I look that scary. I am kind of tall though…”

“Oh my, how peculiar!” Nurse Joy laughs. She then takes a knife from under the counter and starts cutting open the plastic wrapping on the box. “New trainers, your IDs are here! Please form a line and we’ll start handing them out.”

Lucas and a bunch of new trainers gather around the desk. Upon opening the box, the happy expressions on everyone’s faces quickly turns to shock. Inside are what seem to be a bunch of explosives.

“Oh my goodness…” Nurse Joy gasps. “Chansey, call the police!” Chansey runs to a phone and starts dialing away.

“‘Oddly dressed guy’ huh?” Lucas ponders on the thought as Aiden comes over to ask what happened.

“Yes, he kind of looked like he was from a circus troupe or something. He had this cyanic-colored wig on and a uniform that had the letter ‘G’ on it or something.” The deliveryman explains after overhearing.

“Oh yeah,” Aiden says, “That was the guy outside who our buddies ran after.”

“Wait, what? You saw him?!” Lucas exclaims.

“Yeah, when you were still making your order at the counter. Through the glass door, that weirdo was snatching an absolutely _hideous_ looking hand bag—you should’ve seen it—from this flashy girl and then our buddies ran after them down Route 201.”

“What? Why didn’t you say something?!” Lucas exclaims. “I’m going after them!”

Aiden shrugs after watching Lucas storm out the door. Not knowing what to do, he goes back to his table and continues eating while Isabella sits across from him, on her phone.

“Want some?” Aiden asks her before putting a spoonful in his mouth.

“No thank you, sir.”

 

□ ■ □ ■ □

 

Lake Verity is said to be one of the three lakes in the region of Sinnoh that symbolizes tranquility, purity, and the richness of Sinnoh’s waters. None are allowed to build homes near these lakes in hopes of leaving the wildlife in the area undisturbed. It is also meant to safeguard old legends associated with these lakes.

Today, the tranquility has been temporarily disrupted as Vanessa and Jason continue their standoff with the thief.

“Would you two stop staring at me!” the dangerous man yells.

“No,” Vanessa replies firmly. “If you hand over the bag and return the girl safely to us, maybe we’ll stop making you feel uncomfortable! _Maybe_.”

 “I’m the one who makes the threats here!” he shouts in frustration.

“This guy is really lame,” Vanessa sighs. “If it were me, I would have already gotten away after making the ‘don’t move or she gets it’ threat.”

 _‘Is she really criticizing me for being a bad thief?!’_ the man sweats while in thought. _‘I won’t let them talk to me like that!’_

“Skorupi! Attack these little runts!” he demands.

“Wha—?!” Jason reacts.

“Shadow Ball!”

Suddenly, an orb of dark energy swiftly travels from behind Vanessa and Jason, passing them, and strikes Skorupi before it can even attack, causing an explosion on impact.

“Are you two okay?!” asks Lucas in a loud, worried tone. Beside him is a dark, menacing-looking Pokémon: a Mightyena.

 _‘Huh, it doesn’t really suit him.’_ The two of them can’t help but think.

“We’re fine. He’s keeping the girl hostage!” Jason points at the girl who is beside a tree with her fainted Skitty.

“Can you stand?” Lucas asks her from afar. She nods and tries to quickly run to the group with her Skitty in her arms. While this is happening, the strange man tries to flee, leaving his Pokémon behind, but Jason and Vanessa block the way and even go as far as grabbing on to him to prevent him from moving.

“Let go of me!” the man struggles. “Skorupi, help!”

With their attention on the girl and the strange man, the group, shocked, looks over to the Skorupi who manages to get up from the ground despite its wounds.

“Poison Sting!” the man cries. The venomous scorpion points its tail and aims directly at the girl and her Skitty.

“No!” Lucas shouts. Mightyena reacts and darts at the scorpion, tackling it. However, it is too late and the attack is already in motion.

With no second thoughts, Vanessa lets go of the man and races over to the girl with all her might and shields her from the blow with her own body. The blonde girl screams at the sight of Vanessa collapsing onto the ground while Jason and Lucas run over to her.

“That’s it!” the man laughs maniacally. “I’ve had enough you folks! They told me this was going to be easy! Steal something and you’re a full-pledged member! Hah, yeah right! This is crazy!” The man puts down a large sack he had on his back and takes out a familiar-looking box.

“Wait—”

“Shut up!” the man screams at them. “I wasn’t supposed to use this yet but I’m going to blow you all up ‘cuz that’s what you all deserve!”

As he kneels down and opens the box, his confidence soon turns into despair when he sees nothing but Trainer IDs in the box before him. He soon realizes the mistake he made.

“You’re so dead,” Jason mutters as he cracks his knuckles.

“Please surrender,” Lucas says. “…I’d rather not hurt you.”

The strange man panics and begins to flee towards the Verity lakefront but is intercepted by a bunch of people in different uniforms. On them reads, “Aidenland Security”. Among them is Aiden who yawns as the suspicious man is detained by his people.

“Where’s the police?” Lucas asks, while running towards him.

“Too slow,” Aiden replies. “Everything okay now? I was getting bored at the Pokémon Center. There’s really nothing _in_ that town.”

“Vanessa’s hurt!” Jason cries as he approaches them. He points at Vanessa who is still collapsed on the ground beside the blonde girl crouched next to her.

“Great. I rushed here for nothing,” Aiden says. “We’ll take her to the hospital in Aidenland.” Aiden signals his squad to move Vanessa safely into one of their vehicles.

“Hang in there!” Jason tells her as they lift her into the backseat of a car. “You can’t die!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Totally unnecessary information but Aiden's Pokedex is blue, Jason's is light blue, Vanessa's is purple, and Lucas' is green. The other kids involved with the experiment are closer to Vanessa and Jason in age whom are both in their mid teens. Lucas is in his late teens. Aiden is in his early 20s.
> 
>   
>    
> 


	4. A Skyscraper in a Sea of Trees - Conclusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Previously...**  
>  Vanessa attempts to knock sense into Jason after picking Turtwig but is refused. Later, Lucas brings the Twinleaf group to the Pokemon Center. In order to use their new Pokemon, they need Trainer IDs but need to wait a day to get them. Without much to do, the group returns to Twinleaf Town to have a comfortable night while Lucas tags along. There, they discover Vanessa and Jason's neighborhood has been lost to Aidenland—much to their despair. Lucas manages to get the duo back on their feet before morning and find out that their Trainer IDs have still not arrived upon returning to Sandgem Town with Aiden. Later, Vanessa and Jason witness a girl getting robbed by a man in strange attire. Unwilling to help, Vanessa argues with Jason but he manages to knock sense into her before the two chase after without Pokemon or a plan. Meanwhile, Aiden has an unpleasant encounter with a boy named Tony, from the Jubilife group of kids, but ultimately helps him realize who he's talking to. After Lucas notices the duo's disappearance, he comes to their rescue at Lake Verity. Vanessa is badly hurt upon shielding the victim with her body and is escorted to Aidenland hospital after Aiden makes his grand appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, the following changes were made:  
> \- Chapters are now titled by parts of an "arc" in the story.  
> \- Chapter summaries now give a recap of the previous chapter.

The church of Aidenland was built with one purpose in mind: a place to worship Aiden himself. It was Aiden’s idea, obviously, and he hoped that once he took over the world, he would be worshipped as a god among gods. However, Aiden wasn’t quite at that level yet and the church itself wasn’t very popular at first. Thus, the church has facilitated other purposes—such as being the present day funeral location for Aiden’s dear companion Vanessa.

“Vanilla was a good girl,” Aiden speaks to those in attendance. “Being so young, it was nothing but cruel that her life was taken away by your everyday thug. Her future was bright and her dreams were boundless. She was kind, passionate, thoughtful, and brave. However, thanks to her acts of courage, justice has been served and the man responsible for her demise will be locked behind bars. Vanilla will be remembered as the dauntless hero who sacrificed her life to save an innocent girl from the horrible misdeeds of a desperate, crooked thief. She will be sorely missed.”

Aiden was honestly surprised that this many people showed up to listen to his speech. He had prepared it ever since his team transported her body from Lake Verity just the day before. Perhaps the girl was more loved in Twinleaf Town than he could have ever imagined. He didn’t even need to hire people to attend the ceremony and cry.

‘ _She would have loved this,’_ Aiden thinks. ‘ _I certainly do.’_

“Is it true?!” A woman and her husband come rushing through the front doors and down the aisle. With just one look at their unfitting, tropical attire, Aiden determines that this couple could be none other than her parents.

“I am so sorry about Vanilla,” Aiden says with a soft tone.

“It’s Vanessa,” the father replies.

“Right. You two have my deepest sympathies.”

The two of them look behind Aiden and see a large portrait of their daughter on display next to the casket beside some candles and flowers. Upon seeing it, they collapse to their knees and break out into tears before Aiden guides them to their seats.

“Now then,” Aiden continues his speech. “On behalf of Aidenland, I would like to honor the memory of Vanilla so that she will never be forgotten. A beautiful plaque with her name on it, mounted on the finest stone Aidenland can find, will be placed right beside a lemonade stand—the location of her former home. We will be accepting donations to make this possible and to keep the area maintained. Please. We must keep her legacy alive.”

Dozens of people come up to Aiden and throw in large sums of cash into Aiden’s “donation bucket” much to his internal delight. As he looks around the room with the best welcoming, sympathetic face he could offer, he notices the girl’s parents haven’t donated yet. They still seem to be acting hysterical from the news.

“Mr. and Mrs. Coro—Cora—Corazon.” Aiden walks up to them with the donation bucket in his hands.

“It’s Coronet.”

“Yeah. Would you like donate? I’m sure your daughter, even in spirit, would be very grateful. She seemed like the type to care about her legacy.” Aiden attempts to smile at Vanessa’s grieving parents.

“We-we can’t…” the mother cries. “We used the last of our money we traded the house with to come back. I’m so sorry Vanessa! We should have stayed by your side!” The mother starts bursting into tears again.

‘ _Right…’_ Aiden thinks. ‘ _These two were especially difficult to buy their house from without also paying for their dream vacation. I could’ve built that fourth roller coaster sooner.’_

“We were going to use the money and start a new life there. How could this have happened?” The father sobs with his face buried in his hands.

 _‘You two were going to run away? You guys are on contract to work for me!’_ Aiden sighs and takes a seat next to them.

“It’s okay. It’s never too late,” Aiden replies. “The two of you must work hard—at that lemonade stand—in honor of your daughter. I will gladly halt progress on the memorial until the two of you can contribute to it, if you so desire.”

“You’re right. Vanessa wouldn’t want us to give up here!” The father wipes his tears. “We’ll work hard for you Vanessa! We’ll dedicate our lives for you!” They seem absolutely touched by the sentiment.

“I’m happy for you two. You can start working immediately if you want. I highly recommend it actually if we want that plaque in town,” Aiden smiles. He turns away from them after seeing what appears to be a nod of agreement.

“Wait!” the mother calls for him. “We would like to see our daughter.”

Aiden turns back to them, unable to contain his shock. After all, the casket was really just decoration. He wasn’t expecting anyone to want to look at some dead corpse.

“Are you sure? She’s really ugly. Those needles pierced right through her!” Aiden tries to step in the way. “I would not recommend doing so. You may be traumatized for life.”

“She’s our daughter. Of course we’ll see her!” the mother tells him.

“I don’t care what she looks like. I need to see my baby girl!” the father replies, walking past Aiden to the casket. The mother gives Aiden a suspicious look before following him.

“Wait!” Aiden calls to them. Vanessa’s parents ignore his calls and open the casket. They pause briefly with a stunned look on their face and look at each other.

“Please explain this!” The couple turn to Aiden, looking quite upset.

Inside the casket is a much older, bespectacled woman. Besides having the same black hair color, she looked barely like Vanessa.

 _‘Isabella?! What are you doing?!’_ Aiden stares in disbelief. However, he quickly looks back to the parents, faking a sorrowful expression.

“I heard it from the doctor…” Aiden mumbles with a heartbroken tone. “Apparently the venom of a Skorupi has unusual effects on the body. As you can see, your daughter’s body has aged several years. This may be hard to believe but this is indeed your daughter.”

“P-Pardon? Vanessa, no…” the father sobs.

“Hold on. There’s hardly a scratch on her.” The mother looks back at Aiden.

“…The talent of Aidenland makeup artists!” Aiden smiles. “We take much pride in what we can accomplish here at Aidenland. We didn’t want her to look _that_ ugly.”

“Why is she wearing glasses?” The mother squints at the body, explaining that Vanessa has never once worn nor needed them.

“The venom… also causes blindness,” Aiden gulps.

“Even though she’s dead?” The mother glares. “You said over the phone that she died immediately!”

Aiden laugh nervously. It seems like this charade was just about over. They were having this conversation right in front of everyone in attendance and he gravely feared they would soon be asking for money back. He wasn’t as worried about Vanessa’s parents leaving since, by contract, they were to start working for him immediately anyway upon returning. Perhaps he should enslave everyone in the room as a safety measure.

“Well?!” Vanessa’s mom shouts at Aiden. “Where is my daught—”

“Silence!” The three of them turn to the source of the voice which was the casket much to their horror. Isabella slowly sits up in a bizarre manner as if possessed and glares at the parents.

“I am the ghost of Vanessa Coronet!” Isabella screams at the top of her lungs. “Your impudent ramblings have awoken me from the dead and I shall show no _mercy_ to disrespectful humans! All shall suffer!”

“O-Oh no!” Aiden shrieks, playing along. “She’s going to get us all! Everybody run! Run for your lives!”

There is sudden panic in the room as people rush to the exit, screaming. Vanessa’s parents drop to their knees and start begging for their daughter to spare them as tears run down their faces again. This outcome is not what Aiden had in mind but it worked out somehow. Perhaps he could make money to silence a false, angry spirit next.

 

□ ■ □ ■ □

 

Vanessa turns her head to the window, lying down in her hospital bed, and listens to sounds of faint screaming coming from the church outside. She frowns, assuming it to be the same screams coming from those riding on the Gyarados-themed roller coaster nearby. Having stayed the night over at the hospital, she wished nothing more than to be outside. Her journey to becoming champion had been delayed a day more.

As she sighs, the door to the room is knocked on and then immediately slides open afterwards, alarming her.

“I’m back.” Jason walks in with two canned beverages.

“Usually, people wait for a response after knocking,” Vanessa says, taking one of the beverages that Jason hands to her.

“Why, because it’s rude?” Jason replies with a smile. “I don’t want to hear that from the girl who mashes on the doorbell to my house and then pounds on the door a hundred times, screaming my name, until someone opens it.”

The two of them laugh and then take sips of the lemonade cans Jason bought from the vending machine in the hospital.

“Thank you for staying the night here,” Vanessa mentions.

“Don’t mention it. It’s not like I have anywhere else to go.” Jason smiles.

The roller coaster car passes by the hospital with the usual screams of people on it. Although it is typically a sign of fun and excitement, it serves nothing but a reminder to Jason and Vanessa of the homes they lost in exchange for this entertainment utopia.

“Jason?” Vanessa calls for his attention. “About what you said yesterday—do you really think all that?”

Jason takes a seat on the chair beside Vanessa’s bed and asks, “You mean from last night? I really am proud of you although you scared the hell out of me.”

“No, I mean before this all happened. You said that I control people, am selfish, make a scene, and step all over them?”

Jason looks away in discomfort and replies, “C’mon. You’re recovering. We don’t need to talk about that now.”

“No, listen to me,” Vanessa states. “Is that why you chose Turtwig? Is it my fault?”

Jason hesitates for a moment and then looks at her. The face he was looking at wasn’t the face of his hotheaded, overbearing neighbor but of a concerned, guilty-looking friend.

“Yes—but not entirely!” Jason adds upon seeing her frown. “I didn’t ask for an Eevee because… I couldn’t help but look at Lucas who looked really down when he gave you that Gible. I couldn’t help but notice the looks we were getting from the other kids and the lab assistants from the moment the two of us entered the building. I felt bad. I felt pressured. But, I don’t blame you.”

“What? Why?” Vanessa questions softly.

“Because it was ultimately my choice in the end. It’s not like you _really_ forced this on me or anything. I didn’t want to say anything because honestly, I like those traits about you.”

“Huh?”

“I like how you’re not afraid to speak your mind. I like how you’ll go through any means necessary to get what you want. I think it’s admirable. Even though it can be over the top sometimes and drive me crazy, you’re still a good person and you’ve always looked out for me.”

“As you have for me, time and again.” Vanessa smiles. “You’re too kind, Jason.”

“So, stop worrying about it and don’t change who you are,” Jason continues. “Besides, it’s not the only Eevee in the world. I’m also pretty curious to see how Turtwig handles himself.”

Vanessa sighs as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. At that moment, someone knocks on the door and it shortly slides open, revealing an Aidenland Hospital nurse.

“Are you joking?” Vanessa asks. “We were having a moment.”

“Oh, my apologies,” The nurse says. “But I got some good news for you, Ms. Coronet. You’re free to go! We called your guardian, Lucas I believe, to come pick you up.”

Vanessa swiftly throws the bedsheets off her and leaps out of bed in excitement, cheering with Jason as the nurse claps for them awkwardly.

 

□ ■ □ ■ □

 

Slow footsteps can be heard coming down the stairs to the lobby in Aidenland Hospital where Lucas waits. With her arm around Jason’s shoulder and his arm on her waist, Vanessa carefully watches her step as she protests this unnecessary assistance the boy is providing.

“I’m fine, Jason! You can let go of me now. We were just dancing in the room a minute ago!” Vanessa tells him as they finally make it down the stairs.

“Until you fell!” Jason replies. “The nurse was ready to keep you here for another day!” Jason slowly lets go of her despite his complaint and keeps a close distance in worry that she will fall.

“Vanessa!” Lucas runs over to the two. “Is it really okay for you to leave now?”

“Yep, I’m free now,” Vanessa replies cheerfully. “Don’t write me off just yet. There’s no way I’m going to let something like that stop me from becoming champion!”

“That’s exactly why we’re worried about you.” Jason sighs at the comment.

“My body’s made of steel. Don’t bother!” Vanessa jokes. If only all victims of poisoning were literally made of steel.

While the three catch up, a girl comes out of the restroom with a Skitty trailing behind her and immediately notices the group. Unable to contain her emotions, she swiftly approaches them and lets out a, “Thank goodness” which captures their attention.

 “You’re—” Vanessa starts, “I didn’t expect you to wait for me here.”

It is the blonde girl she saved yesterday. She gives Vanessa a radiant smile and grabs both of her hands.

“Of course! I’m so thankful you saved me from that man! I was really worried about you. I’m glad you’re okay!” The girl suddenly bows for Vanessa to express her gratitude but the gesture only comes across as uncomfortable to her despite her appreciation.

“Uh—please don’t do that. It’s really nothing,” Vanessa replies. “I’m honestly not even sure why I did that. My body just moved on its own…”

The girl shakes her head in polite disagreement and smiles warmly at Vanessa who only looks embarrassed by all the attention she’s getting.

“I think that’s remarkable actually. It means you're a good person by nature,” the girl says. “Regardless, you saved me. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Vanessa replies half-heartedly.

Jason can’t help but feel happy for Vanessa despite the weirdness that she is radiating. He is glad the girl is understanding despite how Vanessa is acting. For as long as he can remember, Vanessa was never good at making friends with other girls her age. She was assertive, aggressive, and incredibly bossy—none of which has changed today. She got into a lot of fights growing up. The way she acted made even the guys in their classes a bit wary of her. The only female figure she felt truly comfortable around was her mother. He could only wonder how she’d act if Cynthia were to ever meet her in person.

“Oh, I should introduce myself!” the blonde girl exclaims. “My name is Alisha,” The girl picks up the Skitty walking around her feet and adds in, “And this is Skittle, my Skitty.”

The group took a good look at her. She was very well dressed—fashionable even, as if on top of the latest trends. Her taste seemed to heavily contrast Vanessa’s. Alisha’s tastes were much more feminine. She was rocking a skirt for instance which Vanessa wouldn’t dare to wear. Vanessa wore mostly jeans and T-shirts. Alisha’s choice colors from her skirt, sunglasses, bag, and barrette were mainly white and pink. Vanessa wore mostly blacks, reds, and purples.

“I’m… Vanessa. It’s, um, nice to meet you,” the shy girl stammers.

“Yes! It’s really nice to meet you,” Alisha smiles. She then looks at the two boys next to her and says, “Oh, thank you all again for everything you’ve done to help. All my Pokémon were in my bag that the guy took from me and Skittle’s not really used to battles. I was in really deep trouble until you all showed up.”

“No problem,” Lucas replies back. “We’re all just glad you’re safe.” Vanessa and Jason nod in agreement, answering similarly.

“Just who was that guy anyway?” Jason questions.

“Hm, based on his uniform, he looked like a member of Team Galactic… or some wannabe based on what he said earlier,” Lucas explains.

 _“… They told me this was going to be easy! Steal something and you’re a member! Hah, yeah right! This is crazy!”_  The group recalls the words of the man vividly.

“What’s Team Galactic?” Vanessa asks.

“You don’t know? I’m surprised. They’re quite famous!” Lucas replies. “It’s—”

“Team Galactic is a highly acclaimed research organization responsible for gathering data on space and what lies beyond.” The group turns to their left to see a tall, elegant woman walk towards them from the entrance. Despite her unfamiliarity, Lucas, Jason, and even Vanessa were stunned by her beauty.

“Oh, you’re here!” Alisha gasps from surprise.

“The foundation rivals the Mossdeep Space Center in the Hoenn region who have already sent rockets into space. Unlike them, Team Galactic is decently popular amongst the public in their efforts to help the people,” the woman continued.

“Wow, they sound really great,” Jason comments.

“Yeah, they _are_ great! Professor Rowan even lent them some of his research data for a while. I wonder why he stopped.” Lucas states. “Anyway, that’s why I think that thief was just some insane wannabe trying to ruin their reputation or something.”

“Oh, um…” Jason trails off. He looks at the mysterious woman who walked in on them and soon everyone’s attention is directed back towards her. “Are you Alisha’s mom?”

“…No, but you could consider me her guardian,” the woman responds. “You kids must be the ones who saved her from that burglar. I cannot thank you enough. As such, I have already handled the costs for your friend’s stay here. I must admit, it was a shockingly high price but it was the very least I could do for you.” 

Vanessa looks stunned by the woman’s kindness. She stumbles on words for a moment and lets out a, “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

“You’re very welcome,” the woman smiles faintly. “We should get going, Alisha. We’re already behind schedule.”

“Oh, you’re right,” Alisha says in a worried tone. “I need to get going everyone… Oh! Do you guys have Pokétches? We should keep in contact.”

“Pokétches?” Vanessa blinks in puzzlement.

“Oh, they’re a little like Unova’s ‘Xtransceivers’ if you’ve heard of them. It has all sorts of new functions ever since they were first introduced years ago. I think they call the new model the ‘Pokétch Plus’ or something?” Alisha explains. “Anyway, please add me when you get one. They should be in stock at Jubilife City!”

Alisha scribbles down what seems to be an ID number onto a piece of paper and gives it to Vanessa. Vanessa looks at the paper, even more puzzled than before.

“Why are you giving me this?” Vanessa asks bluntly. “Is it really okay?”

“Huh? Of course!” Alisha smiles in response. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

 _‘F-Friends?’_ Vanessa stares blankly at the girl as the others wave at her, watching her leave with the woman. _‘Friends…?’_

“Vanessa, are you okay?” Jason asks, amused at Vanessa who looks as if someone just told her that her entire life was a big, fat lie. He shakes her a little which doesn’t seem to rouse her from her thoughts.

“Oh, I know!” Lucas opens his bag and waves a card in her face. She gasps at the sight.

“My Trainer ID!” Vanessa cheers. She takes it in delight and holds it close to her chest as if she had just won the lottery. Lucas hands Vanessa a Poké Ball that she knows all too well and then the competitive, fiery spark in her heart lights up her eyes. She turns her face to Jason who at the girl in front of him, anticipating his probable demise.

 _‘I know what you’re thinking.’_ Jason grins in defeat.

“You. Me. Battle. Now.” Vanessa grabs his arm and the two of them run out of the hospital doors. Lucas yelps a “wait for me!” as the two of them stand across from each other, Poké Ball in hand. After all, the first battle was every kid’s fantasy. Jason was no exception despite his expression.

“Gible, let’s finish this!” Vanessa throws her ball.

“I’m counting on you, Turtwig!” Turtwig materializes onto the ground next to Jason as its trainer reaches in his pocket for his light blue Pokédex. _‘Now what were his moves, again?’_ he thinks.

“Really, Jason? I’m not waiting for you to make a move,” Vanessa calls.

“I know that!” Jason utters as he taps swiftly on the screen. Soon, a beam of light comes out of his Pokédex and scans Turtwig, giving Jason a simple report on his Pokémon.

“Gible! Destroy it!” Vanessa shouts.

Gible stares at Vanessa in confusion, unsure of what to actually do. Vanessa pauses and the realization clicks. _‘He doesn’t know what move to use. Darn, this works for Cynthia though!’_

Lucas steps out the hospital door and smiles at what seems to be a slow battle. Although some may find new trainer battles aggravating to watch, it is quite nostalgic for Lucas as it reminds him of his own starting days. Thanks to his time working under Professor Rowan, he got to watch many new trainers start their journey.

“Gible! Draco Meteor!” Vanessa commands.

“What?!” Lucas steps back. This was the move Cynthia used to finish off her opponent to win her place as Sinnoh’s champion years ago.

Everyone stares at Gible, expecting something incredible to happen. However, it turns back to Vanessa, perhaps even more confused than before. Although Lucas was fortunate enough to meet many new trainers, he doesn’t think there were any stranger than this batch of kids.

“It seems we have a long way to go,” Vanessa sighs as she takes out her own Pokédex to search for moves to use.

“Turtwig, tackle Gible!” Jason calls. Turtwig wakes up from its nap and starts dashing towards Gible, making complete contact much to Vanessa’s shock.

“Hey!” she shouts.

“Really, Vanessa? I’m not waiting for you to make a move!” Jason smirks.

Vanessa puts her Pokédex back in her pocket and gives a determined look. _‘So it finally begins.’_ Lucas thinks.

With its trainer’s order, Gible speeds over to Turtwig and prepares to tackle it. Noticing, Turtwig steps aside and retaliates with its own Tackle. It is a lovely back-and-forth battle of inexperienced Pokémon that Lucas is proud to have a connection to in some way. It is almost as if they were still his own.

“Turtwig, Razor Leaf!” Turtwig shakes its body for a bit and swiftly rotating leaves materialize which shoot out towards Gible. Gible braces itself for the hit much to Vanessa’s shock, soon taking the full impact of the attack. Turtwig acts quickly and begins to close the gap between the Pokémon with Tackle.

“Sand attack!” Vanessa shouts.

Gible kicks sand at Turtwig and steps out of the way to evade the hit. Turtwig shakes the sand off of its body and turns to Gible.

“Now!” Gible tackles Turtwig and knocks it back. Leaves swirl around Turtwig and they dart towards Gible. With Vanessa’s orders, Gible attempts to move away but seems unable to get out of its changing trajectory.

“Heat-seeking leaves?” Vanessa groans.

“Oh, not at all. It’s actually more like—”

“I know, Lucas.” Vanessa puts her hands on her hips. Although it seems like Jason has the clear advantage here, Vanessa can’t help but think about how exhilarating battles like this were. _‘Maybe Jason really can be a worthy opponent.’_ Vanessa thought. She didn’t think he was capable.

“Hydro Pump!” A blast of water shoots violently from the side and sends Gible flying at the building. Soon, another one comes and hits Turtwig.

“What?!” Vanessa shouts. The three of them turn to see Aiden standing next to his Piplup, looking content with what just happened. Aiden walks over to them quickly as they give him disapproving looks.

“Sorry to interrupt your cringeworthy battle but we need to get going,” Aiden tells them as they recall their Pokémon back into their Poké Balls.

“You couldn’t wait?” Lucas frowns. “A trainer's first battle is an irreplaceable memory.”

“Nope.” Aiden claps twice and suddenly, in comes a carriage being pulled to them by Aidenland employees. They bring it near Aiden. “We’re heading to Jubilife right away.”

 “Wow, we’re travelling by carriage?” Jason asks, enamored with it.

“No.” Aiden looks at them in disgust. “As if I’d let you guys ride on it.”

“What?! Are you kidding me? Why you little—” Vanessa exclaims. “You tore down our houses. You owe us at least this much!”

“I don’t owe you two anything,” Aiden shrugs. “Your parents signed a contract. If anything, you owe me for bringing you to a hospital.”

“C’mon Aiden. Vanessa is still recovering,” Lucas mentions.

“Really? She seems as loud as always,” Aiden replies. He pauses to look at her pretending to act like her legs are killing her and then takes a look at the watch on his wrist. Soon, the sounds of gross crying can be faintly heard coming from the park nearby which alarms him.

 _‘The parents!’_ Aiden shrieks in his mind.

“Huh? Is someone crying?” Lucas questions, looking around.

“Fine, you can all ride. We need to get going—now!” Aiden exclaims reluctantly.

Vanessa cheerfully thanks Lucas as they all get on the carriage much to Aiden’s irritation. No matter. Aiden needed to leave before Vanessa’s parents see her and realize that she isn’t dead.

“Where’s the Ponyta?” Jason asks. “How are we supposed to go?”

“Just watch,” Aiden stretches as he takes his seat. They look over to the Aidenland employees who are still present and notice they’re tying Aiden’s Piplup to the carriage.

“You can’t be serious.” They stare in awe, realizing this little Pokémon alone is going to be the one taking them out of town.

Suddenly, the carriage jolts and begins moving forward quickly much Jason, Vanessa, and Lucas’ surprise. Back on Route 201, they will soon be passing through Sandgem Town to collect Vanessa's and Jason’s bicycles that were left there and then will be reaching Jubilife City by nightfall. Upon arriving in Sandgem Town, Aiden yells, “Hurry up! You guys are so slow!” as he watches Jason and Vanessa pick up their bikes in front of the Pokémon Center.

“Aiden,” Lucas sighs, sitting across from him in the carriage. “Why are you on this adventure with us again?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Aiden grins. “To torture you all of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
>   
> 


End file.
